Pica Pica Magazine by Pica Pica Magazine

celebrating new wave craft in the uk #1

We celebrate: 6 Pica Picks 7 Carrot Cupcakes 8 The Letterpress Queen Interview with Aina Bergerud 11 Fire Starter 12 Make a Stand Investigating Craftivism 17 Riverboat Love Affair 23 Pretty Little Bird Interview with Anke Weckmann 27 What's Going On? Join the dots 28 The Devil’s in the Detail Copycat craft 31 Drawn In The Scribble Project 33 Curiouser and Curiouser Journey down the rabbit hole 34 Tied Up in Notts Pica Pica city guide 36 A Day at the Races! A fascinator instructional 38 Craft Britannia UK clubs and collectives 42 Kawaii 101 A lesson in cute 45 Love is in the Air 48 Felt Up 50 Je Suis un Oignon A plush project to make you cry 53 Kate’s Aviary Colour it in 54 Pica Pica Wants You! Cover competition results 56 Reviews

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Greetings stranger Contributors: Christine and David Penfold, Gemma Latimer, Amy Blackwell, Geoff Webb, Christine Nairne, Brian Fitzgerald, Annalisa D’Urbano, Lisa Hack, Jo Want, Kate Broughton, Lucia Biagi, DK Goldstein Pica Pica Magazine is a project created by a team of MA Publishing students at the London College of Communication, London SE1 6SB. Printed on Robert Horne Revive 100% Recycled Paper Cover design by Stephanie Baxter ©2010 Pica Pica. All work remains copyright of individual contributors and owners. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without prior permission of the copyright holder. www.picapicamag.co.uk www.twitter.com/picapicamag

Feel very privileged to be holding your copy of the first issue of Pica Pica Magazine - it’s like gold dust! Traditionally, craft titles have stuck to the seriously outdated ‘hobbies’ market – none of them have been brave enough to really tackle the UK’s flourishing ‘alt-craft’ scene. These are exciting times and Pica Pica Magazine represents all that is innovative and captivating about craft and handmade creativity in the UK right now. Sure, there are countless websites out there – but who doesn’t love that feeling of sitting back with a cup of tea and absorbing the beauty of a magazine in print? Pica Pica is something to touch, collect and truly appreciate. We aim to inspire you to make, sew, colour, bake, cut, paste, knit or create with insightful interviews, articles, fun projects and inspirational finds. So, what’s in the first issue? We investigate the attraction of the UK for migrating young creatives by discovering the lost art of letterpress with Norwegian designer Aina Bergerud and delve into the life of Anke Weckmann, a Germanborn illustrator who sees London as her spiritual home. We’ve scoured the country to find the UK’s best clubs and collectives and unearth Nottingham’s crafty side. We also hand pick some Alice In Wonderland themed finds to tie in with the release of Tim Burton’s remake and present three fantastic beginner-level projects to get your creative teeth into. So, read on for these and much more! We’d like to thank our contributors for their wonderful work, Desmond O’Rourke, David Penfold and Keith Martin for their continual support and guidance throughout this project, Tony Yard, Scott House, Jim McBride and Robert Saints from the LCC print team for helping bring our vision to life and all those great folks who’ve championed us through Facebook and Twitter. Love and stitches,

and the Secret Squirrel Society x

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The Letterpress Queen Balancing her time between her work as a graphic designer and as a dedicated letterpress artist, Aina Bergerud shares her inspiring account of how she fell in love with the lost art of letterpress. words by gillian harris and cat millar photos by cat millar and aina bergerud Pica Pica’s Gillian and Cat met Aina Bergerud on a Saturday morning bright and early. They were told that she was a morning person, which worked well for Gillian because she is one as well! Even if they hadn’t known she loved mornings, they would have assumed so from her bubbly personality and passionate conversation. As publishing students immersed in the evolution from print to digital, Aina and her letterpress is a refreshing look at print as art.

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To start with the basics, what is letterpress? Basically every single letter is individual. So, to actually set a word you need to physically put them together. There are different blocks and brakes, different names like leads, rulers and furniture. There are different sizes and measurements. You have to put them all together into a form that doesn’t move. If it moves, it’s not a very good print. Sometimes things don’t turn out how you want, so you have to move the type and try again. I always take a picture of my prints so I can keep a record of how each one looks physically.

You initially came to London to study graphic design, how did you get into letterpress? I took my Masters in Graphics at London Metropolitan University. I had learned about letterpress during my BA but never got to use one. When I came here to go to university they had a letterpress room. I’m a total typography geek, so I was like, “Wow letters, lets try it!” I got so fascinated that I did my whole Masters project on letterpress. I spent three whole months alone in that room. So is setting up a letterpress piece time consuming? It depends on what it is. If it is a simple piece it can take 15 to 20 minutes but other pieces can take days. Sometimes you have an idea of how you want your print to be but it can be frustrating because letterpress is very limited, especially bigger size fonts because the bigger sizes are always made of wood and the pieces can be worn out, or damaged or missing some letters. For instance, you will want to print the word “Hope” but there is no “o!” Is there any way to design your own letterpress letters? Yes, you can do it several different ways. You can make a design and send it to a plaque maker. He makes metal plates that replace the individual type, a precursor to offset plates in a way. I’ve never done this but I had a two-week internship at a letterpress studio, during my MA and they did this a lot to make logos and business cards. These are digital files, which are made into plates. I did some research and thought about doing this with one of my posters but it’s very expensive! It’s nice to have because you can use the plate over and over again. Where do you get all of your letters? Do you buy any letters from markets? There are people that sell their stuff when they retire, or even give it away. There are also places where you can exchange fonts. If you go to Spitalfields it’s really hard to find the same fonts because they split them up. This is really annoying because it is so hard to differentiate them. It can look cool when every letter is not the same but sometimes you want to use the same font. It is also really expensive when they split them up like that! Do you know many other people who do letterpress? I am a member of a letterpress discussion group, with people from all over the world but mainly Americans. They post things during the night and I read them during the day. It’s very cool, I would love to go to America and try to meet some of them.

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So does this mean you haven’t done many collaborations with other letter pressers? No, I haven’t done that yet. It’s good in a way, because in Norway I haven’t found anyone that does letterpress. I know a couple of universities that have a letterpress room but the students don’t use them often and it is not a big part of their education. At the moment I’m setting some pieces in Norwegian and English as my friend at home can sell them in her shop. I’ll be at an advantage, because nobody else is selling letterpress art in Norway! How are you going to showcase your work? Are you thinking about an exhibit? I have a friend from university who’s setting up a group of students and young professionals to share their design work. I’m also going to set up a blog with pictures of my work. What do you think you will charge for one print? I am not sure, that’s the hard part. I went to an exhibition of two very famous artists, Alan Kitching and Celia Stothard, pica pica magazine

who are based in London. They are great, and sell their posters for £1000. As long as I can sell my artwork, and people know about it, I don’t really care about how much they pay! Do you do any other hobbies or crafts? I plan on doing some small books with letterpress and hand binding them. I learned how to do this during my MA. It looks simple, like it is handmade but I like stuff like that. I made a small book for my friend for her birthday with letterpress and when I gave it to her she started crying! It must be refreshing because everything is so digital now. Do you think that this is part of the appeal? Yes, it is. It’s not because I hate digital. I have a Mac and I love it! It’s about getting both sides. I think it has to do with how I grew up in the countryside and am used to being outside and using my hands physically. I’m not very good at drawing but wanted to do something with my hands, I found letterpress! How long have you been doing letterpress for? It is nice to see someone so passionate about something! One and a half years. For my MA exhibition I wanted to show why I enjoy it so much. I brought washable ink from Norway, made some wooden blocks and had several different papers to print on, so people could see what it was like. Everyone loved it! Finally then, if you could leave behind one object for the world to remember you by what would it be? I would leave a huge letterpress poster that spans the whole room. Whatever it is, it HAS to be with letterpress!

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Fire Starter About

Materials

This dragon is for your little sister, or for your girlfriend, or for your father who just doesn’t understand!

Toilet roll tube Scissors Sticky tape Your choice of paper

words and images by geoff webb

Print out the template (picapicamag.co.uk/tpdragon). Try sketching it out in small form first – cut it out and try folding it to see if the dimensions are working. If not, you can tweak them for the real thing. You might find that even with the real thing, you’ll have to make more folds in order to make it work.

Think profile! What do you want your dragon to look like from the side? While a 3D head is cool, most people don’t mind if their dragons have flat limbs that look good from the side (as long as they hold up the body!)

mak e drag a on!

Remember to cut out the tabs on the template to help with gluing, folding and taping. I’d recommend colouring the paper with watercolour pencils before you cut out the individual pieces. Draw the head so that you can fold it into shape with the help of some tape. The back legs look the same as the forelegs, but bigger so as to elevate the hips more angled towards the rear. Make the top tabs larger to curl over the body. Fold the feet down so the ankles are kind of springy like accordions. Wrap paper around the toilet paper roll to make the body and tape it all together. You can decorate with spikes on the back, or wings or anything that takes your fancy. There you have it! Taadaa! pica pica magazine

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Make a Stand Delve a little deeper into the UK craft scene and it soon becomes clear that many of those involved are seeking to create change and promote awareness for issues that are often ignored. Wanting to find out more about this underground movement, Pica Pica sent journalist DK Goldstein on a mission to find out what it means to be a craftivist. words by dk goldstein pictures by carrie reichardt and sarah corbett Remember the days when an -ism wasn’t a flashing beacon of trepidation but something to cushion your beliefs like a mollifying hug? Socialism, communism, veganism, even fascism, was something that was going to save us at one point or another, something to take comfort in. If you weren’t happy with a dose of bolshevism you’d whack on some Mussolini, he’d sort you out with an -ism better fitted to your liking. But nowadays we’re drowned in despondent -isms – sexism, racism, ageism –

these never leave the lips lightly, and when they do those lips mean serious business. It’s difficult not to see them shrouded in social awkwardness, so for craft to amalgamate with activism under the guise of craftivism is a bold step, especially when activism is seen as confrontational by the unapprised. Originally coined in 2002 by the Goldsmiths graduate and craft queen, Betsy Greer when her friend combined two common words in Greer’s vocabulary, the term pica pica magazine

‘craftivism’ didn’t fully catch on until her first book, Knitting for Good, was published in November 2008. Greer believes that it’s about the “not-so-radical notion that activists can be crafters, and crafters can be activists,” and one person who agrees with that is Sarah Corbett, the founder of London-based Craftivist Collective. As well as lobbying her local MPs and boycotting major brands such as Topshop and Primark, Corbett uses her “creativity to make the public aware of the struggles people are still going through.” In the year that the group has been established they have hosted events such as the ‘Craftivism Corner’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, to make badges, wishes and banners on themes surrounding the conflict in Sudan and collaborated with Oxfam to hold creative campaigning workshops. “I wanted to be surrounded by like-minded people and change the world for the better,” states Corbett. “I couldn’t find a group in London that did that, so I decided to set up my own.” Another renowned craftivist on the scene is Carrie Reichardt, who acts regularly with political prisoners in mind. She works from her home, The Treatment Rooms, “the UK’s only ceramic house of resistance” as she calls it, which, for the last eight years has been covered in ongoing mosaic art. Reichardt has been placing her

anarchic tiles, mosaics and ceramic pieces around the world for years and believes that craftivism works as a better alternative to old-hat petitions and banners. “Compare a normal stall with political leaflets on it with a beautiful mosaic covered truck or large knitted banner,” she muses. “It’s obvious which one will attract more people. Often the art allows conversations to open up and for more of an exchange of ideas to take place.” As well as being involved in a number of community projects, such as the mural under the Westway in Ladbroke Grove as part of the Mutate Britain Winter Show, she was also recently artist in residence with the SHP (Single Homeless People) charity, running mosaic workshops. I wanted to be surrounded by like-minded people and change the world for the better With all those heavily involved in the craftivism scene being girls, it may seem a daunting, feminist terrain to enter into if you’re a like-minded guy trying to get your foot in the door. But unlike second-wave feminists of previous generations, who cast off their homely duties with scorn, these third-wave feminists are all about a DIY

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philosophy, self-sufficiency and change. So it’s encouraging to see that in 2005 four blokes got together and founded Etsy.com. In an attempt to overthrow capitalism through craft and cut out the middle man, thereby connecting the buyer directly to the seller, Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, Haim Schoppik and Jared Tarbell started up a website that made people feel like individuals again. In their ‘Alchemy’ customers can appeal for custom made items and sellers will begin a bidding war in the hope that they’ll be the one to make and supply those desirables. “No one likes to show up at a party wearing the same dress as someone else,” writes Greer on the Craftivism.com blog. Up until the Industrial Revolution clothes were made to fit the individual, rather than the individual squeezing themselves into those ‘it-says-size-10-I’m-usually-a-10’ jeans or constantly grappling with that dress that won’t sit properly because they ‘simply had to have it’, and all acts in craft are helping us to achieve individualism. Early last year the Etsy craftivism team had a debate over certain members not being in it for the right reasons and if reasons were even relevant when it comes to craft. Conservative members of the group believed that the Modus Operandi assumed a liberal agenda and argued that as they all had different beliefs, politics should not be brought into it. Should politics

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be left by the door? “Never!” argues Corbett feistily. “The core element of craftivism is to make people aware of issues and encourage them to act as well as think about injustices in the world,” she explains. But there are other organisations who dispute that acting through craft will raise further awareness than, say, a good old sit-in. LCAP (London Coalition Against Poverty), a direct action advocacy group help iron out injustices by offering legal advice and organising demos rather than just raising awareness through discussion. “If you’re trying to bring up kids in London on the minimum wage, you probably don’t have time left over in your day for cross-stitch,” puts in Roy Marmelstein, a spokesperson for LCAP. “The appeal seems very much for students and seasoned politicos. You can’t change anything without the support of all sections of the community.” But Corbett explains that “lots of people who join [the Craftivist Collective] feel that the activist world can be elitist, scary, judgmental and extreme in views.” And this is where craftivism comes in, to form a less intimidating environment and provide you with a cushy stepping stone into a world of activism, where you can act and change the world at your own pace.

A ba nner from the Renega de Potters an d Ex treme Craf t ex hibi ti on

Craf ti vist Co ll ec ti ve’s m in i protest tool case

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Riverboat Love Affair One of East London’s fi nest places and means of transportation must be the Shoreditch Canal. Whether taking a stroll, cycling or feeding the ducks, the canal gives London an unmistakably romantic touch. Our favourite location on the canal is a hole in the wall coffee shop, which appears to you out of nowhere and sells delightful coffee and cakes! Embracing this romantic feeling, Pica Pica gathered their best second hand pieces and turned them into inspiring nautical outfi ts. Whether you prefer dressing as Captain, Cabin Wench or even Best Mate, Pica Pica wants to show you how even a regular day in the city can be transformed into a Riverboat Love Affair.

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A flower i P u t it i n s a g r e at w a y to add som y o ur ha flower, but rea l ir, or pin it to y e colour to you r lo ou flo C he c k o ut the P wers work wel l r jacket. T h is is ok. â&#x20AC;&#x201A; ica Pica too, and a fa ke w e b s ite s me l l a a fa bu lo f lo o r t i n ic n us fa br ic st flower f r uctions on m er! a k ing or yours elf.

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t y ou r r i n g ou i g h b o t t n a If you w add a pair of th t spr in g: st s i ju h f a ho , t r e m wa r soon y ou r s e l . g s t n h e i t p G n e . o e le K le wm mb ps i n s t y or ts a fe ur ense shor t sh nee sock s to yo hose goosebum t rk h ighs o d you can bat tle n a e l at t

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photos by brian fitzgerald model: lisa hack stylist: annalisa d'urbano assistants: cat millar and elena biagi words and direction by gillian harris

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by Heidi Kenney

Pretty Little Bird Pica Pica takes a peek into the whimsical world of illustrator Anke Weckmann and finds out what it’s like to see your first paid work in print. words by belinda johnson and natalie ridgway illustrations and photos by anke weckmann

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Anke is a freelance illustrator who draws the most gorgeous of images – mainly cute indie girls wearing quirky outfits, rosy cheeks, and super sweet shoes. Chubby cats, enchanting plants, flowers and loved-up couples also feature prominently in Anke’s work. When she’s not working on one of her many commissions, Anke’s probably tending to her Etsy shop, selling digital prints, greeting cards and other small trinkets like magnets, mirrors and pendants, to her numerous fans across the globe. Anke sells and works under the name of Linotte, which means ‘pretty little bird’ in French, perfectly summing up her distinctive style for all things beautiful. Originally from Germany near Hannover, Anke moved to London in 2001 where she studied illustration at Camberwell Arts College and Kingston University. Since graduating in 2005, she has built up her portfolio to include an impressive roster of clients, including the likes of The Guardian, Channel 4, Newsweek, and Vogue Italia. Pica Pica decided to catch up with Anke to find out more about what makes her tick. What was it about the UK that attracted you to come and study here? I decided that I wanted to live in England when I was about 12 years old. I just loved learning the language and probably had a very romanticised idea I got from films and books. Years later I was studying fashion design in Germany and was very unhappy, so I thought – it’s now or never. It was the best decision I ever made. Do you think it’s important to be somewhere like London, as a creative place, or could you work anywhere? Theoretically as an illustrator you could work from anywhere, as long as you have everything you need to create your work. I definitely feel some sort of ‘vibe’ in London. I can work much better here than from my parents’ house for example, which is in a very small town. Were you very arty at school – what other things were you interested in? I always really liked drawing, although the art classes at school weren’t always very good, which I found frustrating. I was always really good at English, and I liked maths. If you weren’t working as an illustrator what else do you think you’d be doing? I really don’t know, I think illustration is perfect for me. In another life I would like to be a dancer, I think it must be amazing. (I don’t have any talent for it in this life).

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What was your first ever paid commission? How did you feel when you saw it in use? My first commission was a young fiction book called Roar, Bull, Roar, which I illustrated for Frances Lincoln Publishers. It was surreal to see my work in print for the first time. And a little anticlimatic, because it never quite looks like you imagined. You are seen as being quite successful as an illustrator – are you making enough money to live off or is it still a struggle? I still feel like I am just starting out in many ways. I can live off illustration now and spend all my days drawing and doing what I really want to do, so I’m very happy. Do you use an agent, or have any thoughts on using agents? I made a choice to work without an agent, because I want to learn as much as possible about every aspect of the job. I think it’s important to know about pricing jobs, dealing with contracts and knowing about finances and of course, promotion. It’s a learning curve but it gives you confidence to deal with all the difficulties along the way. It was surreal to see my work in print for the first time. And a little anti-climatic, because it never quite looks like you imagined. Where do you do your work? What does your desk look like on an average day? I work from home, which I love. I have two big tables that get ridiculously messy when I work, no matter how many times I tidy them up… Is there one piece that stands out in your portfolio that sums you up as an illustrator or that you are most proud of? No, not really. Whenever I finish an illustration I’ve already moved to the next thing in my head. We know time is an issue for any freelance artist, but do you do any other crafting in your spare time? I like knitting, it’s nice to knit while watching a movie. Sometimes I think of sewn projects for my Etsy shop, but there’s never enough time for those. I really want to make a quilt this year, I hope I can find the time for it. What advice would you give to any budding artist or crafter looking to break into the world of freelance? I think you have to really, really want it, work very hard and have a lot of patience.

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What’s Going On? illustration by geoff webb

Did you know… Marvin Gaye loved to crochet? pica pica magazine

The Devil’s in the Detail Pica Pica looks at how the Internet has opened a Pandora’s box of copyright issues and investigates the effect on independent craft and design. words by cat millar and belinda johnson illustrations by gemma latimer / gemmalatimer.com The Internet! It’s killing the music industry, television, movies… you know the score. But that’s nothing to do with craft, right? Sure, at some point, we’ve all probably downloaded a few songs or shared a film online and why feel guilty? There’s always the Robin Hood defence: steal from the rich to give to the poor. But what happens when the tables are turned? Take the music industry as an example: if an unsigned band is any good it’s likely a record company will sign them up. That band probably had a Myspace page, or similar, which contributed to their success. So why is it when independent designers promote their work online, they increasingly find that, rather than helping them win a commission, the medium has left them exposed to intellectual property theft? Anyone with an interest in art, design or craft is probably aware of the grey area of ‘borrowed’ ideas and may have even come to accept it as inevitable. If you’re talented, people will want to emulate you. The art world even legitimises this to an extent through such genres as appropriation art, in which exponents such as Jeff Koons and Sherrie Levine reinterpret or recontextualise the work of other artists. Modern art is all very well, but when it comes to real life, copying just isn’t acceptable to the few feisty independents who’ve had enough. For a number of years now, websites like You Thought We Wouldn’t Notice have been naming and shaming the copycats and chronicling the countless designs that have appeared a little too similar to previously published independent work. It makes for shocking reading but hasn’t really garnered much mainstream press attention. Many designers have no choice but to let things like this go quietly, they just can’t afford to take legal action. However, for some, the means by which their designs are stolen has finally provided a way of fighting back. One of the first to detail their feelings about design theft online were the Sydney design duo Made By White, whose Little Red Riding Hood brooch was poorly imitated by Topshop. They tweeted and Facebooked and lo’ and behold it’d been happening to other indie

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Pica Pica’s top tips! Copyright DOES exist on the web so make it clear from the outset that you mean intellectual property business! Display your © everywhere! Make sure to exert it by marking your name on all copies of your work, along with the date and country. Also consider the use of Creative Commons licensing. Don’t forget your text Editorial content is covered by copyright. Watermark your images A translucent but hard to remove watermark is an effective way to discourage image theft online, but it doesn’t mean they have to be ugly. Keep a log of everything you do Record and have a copy of everything, including written content that may no longer appear online.

jewellery designers too! Inspired to speak out, Lady Luck Rules OK posted a blog detailing the numerous designs they’ve had ripped off, most recently a Russian doll necklace copied by fashion retailers ASOS. This hot topic built up around the online community. Tatty Devine – another London based jewellery designer, got in on the action, posting

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a ‘spot the difference’ collage of copied pieces and their real counterparts but refusing to reveal the culprits’ identities. Lady Luck Rules OK had a small victory in getting ASOS to remove the offending article from sale, attributing this to the effect of social media. Sometimes brand damaging incidents like this just aren’t worth the trouble for the big companies. However, don’t take this as an admission of guilt. Corporate companies have teams of lawyers with tricks up their sleeves. Most large fashion retailers buy their jewellery in bulk from Asia and thus can claim no responsibility for intellectual property theft as this lies with the original supplier. It’s hardly up to them to check every single piece purchased. Or is it? The validity of this excuse could be questioned, why are companies that employ ‘trend spotters’ to keep on top of underground fashion seemingly so poorly informed about independent design? ASOS reacted quickly to LLROK’s blog post and the bad publicity it generated, but what of the profits they had already made from the design? The line seems to be, as illustrator Hidden Eloise found out recently, if the company has paid for a design then they believe it is theirs to sell. In one of the most recent and surprising cases of design theft, Eloise found her work had been copied and reproduced in a line of products for Paperchase. Through blogging extensively and revealing her experiences battling the stationers, the young British artist has found a lot of support. During the incident, Eloise’s tale became a top global trend through Twitter and people outside of the

craft community began to take notice, with newspapers such as The Guardian covering the story. But what did this mean for Eloise? Her blog details the less than easy ride. Standing firm amidst an onslaught of excuses and blame shifting she still wonders, “What to do and what to say to a company that have made money out of my own effort.” At the time of writing, Paperchase have yet to admit any wrongdoing and design company GatherNoMoss have taken responsibility. Attempting to circumvent any legal misconduct they sent Eloise a cheque for the design fee received from Paperchase. She promptly returned this, as to cash it would mean accepting payment from Paperchase indirectly, thus legitimising the substandard versions of her designs. In a nasty turn of events, Elosie began receiving some unpleasant emails about the situation and her stand against Paperchase. When she traced the IP address, it went back to the company’s central offices in London. In further fallout from this sorry tale, the offending employee has been fired, although Eloise is not so sure, “Paperchase seem to be happy to just send me a private reply and claim that they fired someone… who else knows the whole story? Not many people I bet, and Paperchase would be happy to keep it that way.” Whilst a satisfactory resolution is still pending, what lessons can be learnt? As LLROK and Eloise discovered, the very fact there is a community of crafters out there who are willing to help is a great asset. While it’s a personal choice to speak out if this happens, it’s comforting to know that should you choose to call the big guys out, there’s a lot of people out there who’ve got your back.

if it happens to you… Stay calm and gather evidence The first thing you might want to do is write a hysterical email, Tweet about it or shout it from the rooftops. But, first things first, take screenshots! First contact Be nice and send a friendly email. Show them your evidence and request that the offending item is removed from their website and from sale immediately. Back up all correspondence, be the bigger person and don’t let it ruffle your feathers!

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Think before you act Think twice before reaching for the ‘submit’ button. Heading a revenge campaign at the early stages of a dispute could potentially harm your case. Find out more own-it.org creativecommons.org ipo.gov.uk youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com

Drawn In words by belinda johnson illustrations courtesy of hello oppy / thescribbleproject.com Oppy, aka Lisa Currie, is a young doodling whippersnapper fuelled by pure instinct and plenty of guacamole! Straight out of illustration school, her work is charmingly bright and bold – defined by her use of vivid colour, thick pen and ink, wild patterns and geometric textures. As just a little Oppy from Melbourne, Lisa dreamed of running her own magazine to bring creative minds together. Thinking up new ways to get in touch with people all over the world and avoid any scary face-to-face contact, she fell upon the idea of using ‘scribble sheets’ to collaborate with others. Put simply by Lisa herself, “a scribble sheet is an A4 page of simple shapes and words that encourage biographical doodling”. The first sheets were posted out to her favourite illustrators, with the initial plan of making a zine from their handiwork. Lisa was so blown away by the results that she set up a blog and now that she could share the doodles with others… the Scribble Project was born!

In 2009, the project grew and grew in popularity and became something of a phenomenon amongst the online illustration community – everyone from Caitlin Shearer to Gemma Correll wanted a piece of the scribbling action. It now represents a real community project for anyone with restless fingers and an untamed imagination. The breadth of the Scribble Project continues to expand – no longer limited to the biographical sheets that made it infamous, the ‘Big Team Scribble’ encouraged submissions for a super totem pole doodle. Over 100 scribblers assembled the final totem pole and a small portion of it can be seen in the January 2010 issue of Anorak Magazine. This year, Lisa is creating an extraordinarily long doodle train, with each scribble representing a train carriage. Submissions have already closed, but keep an eye on the Scribble Project website to buy a limited edition ‘Big Team Scribble’ colouring-in zine, with all profits going to Unicef. pica pica magazine

POP CULTURE

“I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!” by Love Hearts and Crosses loveheartsandcrosses.co.uk

“Exaketededly, what is your problem?” by Love Hearts and Crosses loveheartsandcrosses.co.uk

” mad here! “We’re all y le at e h W by Sa ra h e si u o m er a k a theoth om .c sy folk

“If you don’t care for tea, you could at least make polite conversation!” by Love Hearts and Crosses loveheartsandcrosses.co.uk

Curiouser and Curiouser Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll has captured the imaginations of many makers, designers and artists (including one Mr. Tim Burton) due to its fantastical characters, beautiful storyline and edgy undertones. Many craft projects have taken inspiration from the much-loved themes surrounding the book and so we have collected our favourite accessories, prints and jewellery that represent everything we love about Alice!

“Who’s been painting my roses red?” by Rock ‘n Rose rocknrose.co.uk

“Why is a raven like a writing desk??” by Rachel Hastie aka Lunarra Star etsy.com

words by rebecca antrobus

“Mmm...tastes like cherry tart!” by LovefromHettyandDave etsy.com

“Clean cup, clean cup. Move down!” by Megan Price aka MrPS etsy.com

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Pica Pica Magazine :: Nottingham

craf city ty guid e

Tied Up in Notts Ey up me duck! This is Nottingham – a city as famous for creativity as it is for Robin Hood, Brian Clough and the annual Goose Fair. It’s a trip down memory lane for our Art Director as Pica Pica takes you on a journey through Nottingham’s crafty side. words by belinda johnson illustrations by jo want / hello-sunshine.co.uk

Apples and Pears and Crafty Wares

This monthly arts market, run by textile collective curiosity. haus, is doing wonders for the reputation of the city’s east side! From work by established designers to local students and graduates - you’ll find a huge range of clothing, papercraft, accessories, jewellery, prints and textiles on sale here. 4th Saturday of every month. Sneinton Market, Gedling Street (they do crop up in other places too!) applesandpearsandcraftywares. blogspot.com

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Kathleen & Lily’s

Lee Rosy’s Tea Shop

Sewing witches Rachael and Jenna fight the war against the mundane at the headquarters of Kathleen & Lily’s, selling vintage and customised clothing, hand crafted jewellery and accessories sourced both locally and further afield. Also, look out for their Sewing Magic stall offering: alterations, mending and customising at the regular Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair (vintagefair.co.uk).

If you need a quiet corner to relax (and knit) in or catch an intimate show from a local band, then Lee Rosy’s sounds like your cup of tea. Offering probably the widest range of loose-leaf teas you’ll see outside of London and delicious homemade treats daily – 10am till late. A pot of Green Tea Blue Sky and a slice of chocolate cheesecake come highly recommended (you can thank me later).

205 Mansfield Road kathleenandlilys.co.uk

17 Broad Street lee-rosy.co.uk

Spinster’s Emporium

Get Made

A lack of great supplies can be such a burden to any crafter! Taking pride in their ethos of recycling and re-using, there’s nothing ‘run of the mill’ about this unique supply shop. Spinsters is the place to go for original fabrics, rainbow coloured yarns and charming haberdashery.

Founded in 2008 to bring together the city’s multidisciplined but scattered craft community, the Nottingham Craft Mafia aims to encourage everyone to get creative! Visit their HQ and boutique Get Made to get your hands on some beautiful handmade products.

3rd Floor (above The Vintage Warehouse) 82–84 Lower Parliament Street spinstersemporium.com

16 St James’s Street (next to The Malt Cross café bar) nottinghamcraftmafia.com The Art Organisation

Lakeside Arts Centre

Le Chien et Moi

Encompassing four huge buildings – including the former police station, this recently revamped independent art centre and community project offers exhibition space, artist studios, creative workshops and a cosy tea bar. Time your visit with their fantastic craft fair, held on the first Saturday of each month.

Take a short trip out of the city to enjoy the palatial surroundings of the University of Nottingham’s campus and to take in some culture at its unique public arts centre. Lakeside also plays host to Lustre, the most prestigious craft event in the East Midlands, featuring work from selected UK designers. Held in November, it’s perfect for those Christmas splurges.

A short walk from the city centre, this lovely and inspirational shop is totally worth the uphill trek of Derby Road. Be charmed by their collection of vintage, recycled, antique and locally sourced pieces and the shop’s adorable ‘chien’, Mulberry the basset hound. You’ll definitely be spoilt for choice, whether you’re buying for someone else or treating yourself!

South Entrance, University Park University Boulevard lakesidearts.org.uk

60 Derby Road lechienetmoi.com

3–21 Station Street taonottingham.co.uk Workshops with Hannah & Bella

Brush up your sewing skills with local seamstress extraordinaire Hannah Wroe! Her workshops range from making flower corsages to pattern drafting and alteration of vintage pieces. If you’ve fallen out with your sewing machine and want to make friends again, Hannah also offers private home tuition that promises to get you raring to go again in an hour and a half! The Textile Workshop 678 Mansfield Road hannahandbella.typepad.com

Knitty Gritty

Embracing knitting’s newfound popularity, this contemporary shop supplies everything you’ll need to knit up a storm. Selling fresh, home-grown and internationally sourced hand and machine yarns, patterns and equipment. Unit 225, Victoria Centre Market knittygritty.net

Want to find out more? Go online and get more Notts!

Visit Nottingham visitnottingham.com Left Lion leftlion.co.uk Nottingham Visual Artists nottinghamvisualarts.net

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A Day at the Races!

mak hair e a band

About

Materials

Last year I attended a birthday party at the Hastings horse track. Living in Vancouver, BC, going to the horse races is hardly an affair to dress up for, at least not normally, but this time was different. Everyone was told to dress to the nines with Royal Ascot as the theme. I decided to go all out. Using pictures of headpieces and hats from the Royal Ascot as my inspiration I created a turquoise and purple ‘fascinator’ to match the floral dress I planned to wear. This project started out simple enough with some feathers and tulle, but grew into one heck of a headpiece and was a huge hit at the party! Here are my steps to make a fascinator, so find some inspiration and make your own.

Headband Felt (heavy-weight) Tulle Feathers Fabric Ribbon Hot glue gun Scissors Hand sewing needle and thread Styrofoam head mannequin (optional)

words and pictures by christine nairne

Find your inspiration, theme, colours and supplies (feathers/flowers/buttons/bows).

Use a headband that works with your colour scheme or cover one with ribbon. To do this simply put a dot of hot glue at the end of one side of the headband to attach the ribbon, then wrap it tightly around the headband at a slight angle and use a dot of glue at the other end to secure the ribbon in place.

Cut a felt piece and glue it on to your headband. This will be the base for all of the fabulous feathers and tulle you will be attaching to your headband. The size of the felt piece all depends on how big or small you want your head piece to be. I suggest wearing your headband while you decide where to place the felt piece and marking it with a pin. If you are not using a head mannequin you might want to wait to glue the felt piece on at the end so it is easier to decorate. Or you can use the back of a chair to rest your headband on while you work on it.

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If you want to create a veil, cut a section of tulle and let it hang over the edge of the felt piece, glue it down first with a slight gather to create a nice shape.

Start gluing down your feathers, flowers, fabric, buttons and whatever else you want onto your felt piece. I recommend starting at the edges and working towards the center.

The flowers are made by cutting five circles out of your fabric of choice and folding the circles into quarters, then tacking them together at the folded point. They are now ready to be glued onto your headband.

To make the fancy feathers like I did in my first fascinator, tear the barbs of the feather down the shaft leaving only a small clump at the end. Trim the end into the desired shape, or leave it as is for a more natural look.

Once your felt piece is totally covered, you’re done! Voila!

HEADBAND

: ion a l t r uc t o w n ! or ins r t u a o n y i e a f a sc o mak how t l ea r n

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Craft Britannia Pica Pica investigates the UK’s burgeoning craft scene, with cool collectives, clubs and other crafty organisations being spotted everywhere. words by rebecca antrobus and natalie ridgway illustrations by belinda johnson patchwork by casia patchwork photo by david penfold

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Make, Do and Mend Exeter, Devon makedoandmend.info info@makedoandmend.info

UK DIY UK wide ukdiycraft.blogspot.com twitter.com/ukdiycraft

What do you do? Encourage people to take up crafting and pass on skills. We meet regularly to share, inspire, start, continue or finish any type of craft project. We encourage each other and challenge ourselves with projects. Inspiration: There was no group like this in my area and I wanted to stop traditional crafts from dying out.

What do you do? UK DIY is a window on a movement. It started in Autumn 2005 when I realised so much was happening with subversive/DIY contemporary crafts in the US and wondered why it wasn’t so apparent in the UK. The original work in 2005/06 was to research DIY contemporary crafts across the UK, which I received a grant for. My aim was that the research would then lead on to a series of events, projects and exhibitions to showcase what was happening the UK, and the potential it had. A curator in my area was also really interested in the project so paid me to work the research up into an exhibition with other galleries in the North West of England, and makers across the UK. Currently, we run the blog which keeps the research and documentation going. It’s different from other contemporary craft blogs as we look at the theory and context of things – the why as well as the what and where. In that way it continues the research and isn’t just a bulletin board. Inspiration: A passion for showing that the UK can and is competing in contemporary craft on an international level.

Craft Guerrilla Walthamstow, East London craftguerrilla.com

What do you do? We’re a craft collective made up of trained artists, craftspeople and self-taught crafters. We hold impromptu craft events which include monthly DIY craft nights in pubs and monthly craft markets. We’ve also hosted Crafternoons, swishing events and a Craftea Party. Aims: Our aim is to share, teach and spread the enthusiasm for original, handmade objects as well as teach forgotten household crafts like darning and mending. This is not restricted to the creative community and includes the general public and local community. As a collective we aim to share our web traffic, experience, ethos and knowledge with our members but we also aim to serve as a facilitator. We greatly encourage people to work together with other craft groups to start up their own localised craft guerrillas. Inspiration: It was a question of wanting something done and the only way to do it was to do it yourself! Another reason was the fact that there are many web based communities but an actual community where people met, socialised and made, was something we didn’t have in the area.

Stitch By Stitch Southsea, Hampshire tinyurl.com/stitchbystitch

Aims: To build a community that is involved in continuing crafts that are becoming obsolete, having fun, and playing with this medium. Inspiration: I’m only 25 and I dress like an old lady and so I thought it would only be fitting to match my pinstripe stockings with knitting needles! I believe in make do and mend and because of this knitting has always been a skill that I wanted to learn. I decided to teach myself and soon realised there were many like-minded people that also wanted to learn.

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ArtYarn UK wide, based in Salford, Lancashire artyarn.org

Craft Crunch London craftcrunch.com

What do you do? Contemporary knitting and crochet installations. Aims: To use traditional knitting and crochet techniques in contemporary visual arts projects, to promote the diversity and versatility of knitting and crochet as a medium, and at the same time explore ways to make art accessible through participatory making and collaborative exchange. Inspiration: After running a knitting club for a year and seeing how much community engagement this could bring, I decided I should use my love of knitting and crochet in art projects that would benefit the local communities and pass on my skills.

Aims: To encourage people to shop locally and directly from the artist or craftsperson rather than paying inflated prices in posh boutiques. Inspiration: 2008’s economic downturn, which is still reverberating, made a lot of people turn to alternative and more rewarding ways to make a living. Craft Crunch was set up to attempt to promote these people as well as other more established artists.

UK Handmade UK wide ukhandmade.co.uk/magazine

What do you do? UK Handmade is a design led online magazine as well as a community of handmade artisans, designers, crafters and creatives. Inspiration: We wanted to create a central hub for the handmade community in the UK and provide support and information.

Nottingham Craft Mafia Nottinghamshire nottinghamcraftmafia.com hannah@nottinghamcraftmafia.com

What do you do? We’re a community of local artists and makers. We work together to showcase our members work and arrange exciting events to remind Nottingham of its huge creative art scene. Nottingham Craft Mafia is part of the larger Craft Mafia familia founded in Austin, Texas. It serves as a model for independent business owners to assemble with others in their own communities to amplify their vision through the power of a collective. Aims: To bring like-minded makers and artists together, to share a wealth of expertise and experience, helping each other turn hobbies into careers,

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to market and promote craft in the region, to support other local independent groups and businesses and to inspire a whole new generation to pick up their pens, felt, knitting needles, thread or whatever they fancy to create something new, unique and handmade. Inspiration: We realised that there was a gap in the alt-craft scene for people of various design backgrounds to get to know one another and collaborate on projects – specifically in the handmade arena. We felt we could create the right environment for this to occur and happily we’ve seen many collaborations since then!

Craftivist Collective London and worldwide craftivist-collective.com craftivist-collective@hotmail.com

What do you do? We want to show that making people aware of the injustices and poverty in the world can be fun, fulfilling and can build friendships all over the world. It doesn’t have to be stressful or elitist. Anyone can be a craftivist, whatever their skill or understanding. We meet every month in London to plan projects and events, craft together and discuss injustices that we are passionate about. We sometimes hold workshops to improve our craft skills and we also have guest craftivists in our meetings who bring a project for us to become part of. Aims: To expose the scandal of global poverty and human rights injustices through the power of craft and public art. This will be done through provocative, non-violent creative actions. Inspiration: I have always believed that we should try and love our global neighbour and make a positive impact in the world in whatever we do. When I moved to London two years ago I was looking for groups to join. I loved craftivism, although I didn’t know that there was a name for it until 18 months ago. Many people I knew shared this interest so I set up a group.

Craft Candy Sheffield craft-candy.org

Aims: To promote craft within Sheffield and to help makers and artists join forces to collectively promote their work in a friendly environment. Inspiration: We wanted a supportive forum for crafters. Being an independent maker can be quite isolating, so it’s good to know there is a support network around you. Yarn and Yarn Cardiff tinyurl.com/yarnandyarn

What do you do? Collects people who like or would like to learn knitting, crochet, quilting, sewing, cross stitch and more. Inspiration: The group was set up by someone else who has since moved to London, but it was concieved as a way of meeting with like minded people and doing crafty stuff together.

Sugar Paper zine UK wide sugarpapergang.blogspot.com sugarpaperzine@hotmail.com

What do you do? We make a bi-annual zine that features twenty things to make and do. Aims: We want to to get more people crafting and create a crafting network. It’s also for those that craft for a living: it gives them something to do for fun, without the pressure that making for a business sometimes has. Inspiration: I’ve made zines since I was 16. Often, after putting out a zine, I become unhappy with it. What I wrote before isn’t necessarily how I feel about things today. Writing a craft zine takes away the fear that what I write one day, I will hate the next. We also really like making stuff so it seemed the perfect combination, especially as in the past few years there has been a boost, specifically within feminist communities, of crafting and greater self-sufficiency.

There is a hive of activity going on with craft clubs, collectives and other crafty endeavours all across the UK. These are just some of our favourites. We hope learning about their motives and inspirations has sparked your interest to find out more. Remember though, this is just a small selection. You’ll find even more listed on our website, and if you still can’t find something suited to you, why not start your own group?

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Attention class! What started in classrooms in Japan with cutesy handwriting and kitties that say hello, has grown into an unstoppable force thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly had its influence on the craft world! Designers and crafters everywhere are creating quirky, colourful characters that are just begging you to take them home! So when the big scary adult world is getting you down and waking up to yet another grey and miserable day makes you want to cry, take refuge in the land of kawaii, where everything (and I mean everything) wears a happy smile. words and illustrations by cat millar

Lesser than three <3 Just how we feel about this adorable brooch. By Gemma Hogan aka Roses & Gingham. folksy.com

Purr-fect! Bright pink? Check! Kittens frolicking? Check! This passes the cute test with flying colours! lazyoaf.co.uk

NOM NOM NOM! Avoid the golden arches with this tasty sweatshirt! Foodstuffs with eyes? Weird but kawaii! lazyoaf.co.uk

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Birdy Song Shake your tail feather in this totally tropical tee. lazyoaf.co.uk

Wolf like me Stay ahead of the pack with this sweeter take on the ironic wolf t-shirt craze. lazyoaf.co.uk

Rain rain go away! But look cute on a t-shirt or bag any day! By Emily Boyd aka emilythepemily. folksy.com

From Russia with love Give these matryoshka dolls a home. By Bonita Keay aka Beaky. folksy.com

Hold on to the handlebars! Express your love for all the mustachioed men out there. By Emily Boyd aka emilythepemily. folksy.com

Let the sun shine Let these happy clouds brighten your day. By Lucy Farfort aka Lucy’s Happy Place. folksy.com

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Love is in the air pica pica ite! ur favo

Pica Pica chats inspiration, challenges and future plans with Love to Print’s Karoline Rerrie. words by natalie ridgway pictures by love to print If you’ve been paying attention at any number of the handmade and indie craft fairs that have been taking place around the country this past year or so, chances are you’ll have encountered Love to Print, or at least one of the artists involved. With gorgeous screen printed and Gocco printed cards, postcards and prints, Pica Pica became besotted with them and their ideals of mutual collaboration and co-operation. We caught up with illustrator Karoline Rerrie, original conceiver of Love to Print and member of sister project Girls Who Draw.

What is Love to Print? Love to Print is a collaborative project which involves printing various multiples to sell or use for self-promotion. Basically it’s a means for me to produce new work on a regular basis. Working with others has its drawbacks, it is time-consuming but also has the advantages of shared costs and the potential to reach a wider audience.

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How and when was it started and whose idea was it? Love to Print started about 18 months ago when I was working on the first Girls Who Draw postcard book. I was having problems getting enough people to commit to the book, so I suggested to Yee Ting Kuit that we just do it ourselves. Inspired by Mark Pawson and Sara Fanelli, I wanted to make a hand printed box set of A6 prints by different illustrators. It was intended to be partly a selfcontained exhibition which I could send to galleries to promote our work as well as something which could easily be displayed and sold in shops. Who are the different people that are involved in Love to Print and how did you all meet? Love to Print was initially conceived as a one off project for Valentine’s Day 2009. It involved myself, Yee Ting Kuit, Sarah Ray, Claire Lynch, Sarah Lynch, Gemma Correll and Kate Seaward. Due to the success of the project it carried on but because everyone is so busy with their own work it’s been impossible to maintain a set group. I met Yee Ting Kuit and Sarah Ray on a course for illustrators, we stayed in touch and eventually worked together on the first Girls Who Draw book. I didn’t know Gemma Correll but loved her work and initially approached her about the postcard book. Gemma put me in touch with both Kate Seaward and Helen Entwisle. I took a screen printing class along with Sarah Lynch and her sister Claire Lynch, I loved their illustrations so LTP was the perfect opportunity to work with them. In fact the majority of LTP contributors are based in the Midlands. Additionally, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter help us keep in touch as well as helping to find other illustrators to work with. Was it deliberately female only? Would you welcome guys? Neither Love to Print or the postcard books were deliberately intended to be female only. But, admittedly it was a good gimmick and has worked in terms of getting both LTP and GWD extra attention. At the very least it’s because there are so many talented women around, there’s just no room for men.

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Do you think more women are involved in illustration at the moment? I have no idea if more women are involved in illustration now or how many were previously involved. I know more women illustrators but that may be because they are more approachable than men. Possibly more women gravitate towards illustration because graphic design is traditionally quite male dominated. I did a degree in graphic design and very few of the female students carried on to have careers in graphic design. One thing that’s interesting at the moment is the cross over between craft and illustration. A lot of women are illustrating, making and selling their own ranges of products including cards, badges, ceramics and jewellery. Obviously this is helping to raise their profiles and make it appear that there are more women involved in illustration. One thing that’s interesting at the moment is the cross over between craft and illustration. What projects has Love to Print done so far? The first project was a limited edition hand printed box set of A6 prints for Valentine’s Day 2009, accompanied by a range of cards and affordable A5 prints. The next big project was the Obsession zine which featured 9 illustrators, each of whom drew something they were obsessed with. Sarah Ray screen printed an alternative cover design so we could also sell it as a colouring book. There have been a few low key LTP exhibitions such as the Winter one last year. This also included a box set of A6 prints, Christmas cards and A5 prints. Additionally, this was followed by a much smaller range of prints and Valentines cards for 2010. How does it work practically – where do you do your screen printing? Originally half of the group had ‘Goccos’ so were able to use them, so it dictated the size of prints. (Print Gocco is similar to screen printing but on a very small scale and with everything needed enclosed in one small piece of equipment). Some of the screen printers are

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members of Birmingham Printmakers which is where Claire Lynch printed the covers of the Valentine’s box set. I was offered use of the print facilities at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design so I printed some of the Obsession zine covers there. Since then I’ve also joined Birmingham Printmakers and no longer use my Gocco as much, the screens and bulbs are getting too expensive and because the inks are oil based they require solvent based cleaner which isn’t great to use. How long have you been screen printing and what attracted you to screen printing as a method? I spent a lot of time screen printing at school and then on foundation but stopped when I got to University because the print facilities weren’t great and the technician was so unapproachable. I’ve only recently started printing again and it’s a shame I wasted so many years. Screen printing has enabled me to become much more self-sufficient. I can see a project through to a finished product which can be exhibited or sold. It also suits my style with its bold outlines and large areas of solid black or white. What’s next for Love to Print? Right now I’m collaborating with graphic designer Katie Parry from Supercool on a zine of patterns which will have a similar format to Obsession. The zine features designs from screen printers Sarah Lynch, Daisy Whitehouse and Helen Entwisle. I’m spending a lot of money on getting this zine printed so it may be a while until the next LTP project. I also need to start working on the Girls Who Draw ‘Menagerie’ exhibition which will be at Here Gallery in Falmouth in July. pica pica magazine

Ow l B ro o c h by A hann dd ie Pea r a h za k ar i. l co.u k

Little Maki … Salmon Rol by scru m ption sdeli l ght etsy.com

Felt Pencil Case by Roiscroix Boutiq ue folksy.com

up Set ato Ketch s and Tom ea P s s, re ip tu h rs, C Sculp Fish Finge ecycled Felt Food mtea of R a e r c h is by br it m o c etsy.

Felt, the weird fuzzy fabric used to cover pool tables. Or so you thought! Pica Pica has rediscovered their love for felt and the things you can make with it! We instantly fell in love with these cute brooches, fi gures and fake foodstuffs. Belinda and Marie even went so far as to create their own felt friends. words by marie haargaard

Penguin w ith re by a llth in d scarf g ssm a ll etsy.com

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elt Badge Camera F d m ade an H in by Lup m folk sy.co

Kawaii Dinosaur Barrette Hair Cl ip by Heroi neIndu st ries etsy.com

Squir rel Keyring Kit by St ich It John Lewis

n Felt Crow ra fts e C g a tt o C by Misty y.com folk s

rooch ox Felt B 10 Pink F f birdsshop oxo by t heb .com etsy

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‘Je suis un oignon!’ How to make an onion plush toy…

Be careful! He could make you cry!

Rather a chestnut? Just change the colour and turn that frown upside down!

You will need…

1. Photocopy the pattern - doubling the size of the body, bottom and the rings and cut out.

felt

stuffing sewing needle

3. Glue the separate sides of the arms and legs together but leave the very top parts unstuck.

sticky tape

glue (look for a fabric bonding glue)

2. Fixing the pattern to the felt with a few strips of sticky tape, cut out the felt.

strong thread (white and pica picapurple) magazine

white wool

4. Begin sewing the two body pieces together but stop when you reach the arm.

Patterns

50% *

50%

x4 5. Here’s the tricky bit - turn the body inside out and sew the flaps you left on the arm to the inside.

6. Sew all the way to the top of the body and insert a little woollen stork (made by knotting a few strands together) and repeat the process for the other arm.

50%

This is my ass!

* Remember to double the size!

made by lucia biagi / whenaworld.com

7. Make two cuts in the base (as marked to the left) and insert the legs by gluing them to the inside. Glue the white rings to the base.

8. Stuff the body and sew on the base.

9. Glue on the eyes and mouth and… he’s ready! pica pica magazine 51

Kate's Aviary Break out your crayons and get colourful with these beautiful birds. A lover of wildlife and crafting, artist Kate Broughton creates unique felt animal brooches, cards, tote bags, purses and notebooks from original drawings. Kate’s products are available through her own website and Etsy page, including her brand new ‘Colouring Book of Birds’. katebroughton.co.uk

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Pica Pica Wants You! When searching for a great cover design, the Pica Pica team struck upon the idea of running an open brief. Illustrators and graphic designers were invited to submit pieces for the front and back on the theme of craft and creativity, using three colours only. We were blown away by the quality and variety of every submission and the fantastic level of support each artist has shown for our little magazine project from London. These are our five favourite runners up but there are many more available for closer inspection on our website. Our overall winner was Stephanie Baxter, whose work graces the cover of this issue. We felt her adorable composition reflected Pica Pica’s values and perfectly illustrated the diversity of new wave of craft in the UK. Stephanie lives in Leeds and works under the name Steph Says Hello. She loves drawing happy things, cats, drinking tea and of course, crafting. words by belinda johnson

Melinda Francis meeohmy.com

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Amy Blackwell amyblackwell.co.uk

Sarah Bagshaw patternsfabricartpaperthingsilike.blogspot.com

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ies, visi t the entr pe ti tion to see al l om /c k u o. ag.c pica pica m

makesewcolour bakecut pasteknit create

Rui Ribeiro & Sophie Williams behance.net/ruiribeiro

Joseph Fells hijamesarkblog.blogspot.com

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reviews

by natalie ridgway, cat millar, rebecca antrobus and gillian harris

Made & Sold: Toys, T-shirts, Prints, Zines and Other Stuff Agathe Jacquillat & Tomi Vollauschek (Laurence King, £19.95)

Love independent design? Maybe this book was made (and sold) for you! Made & Sold is a collection of the self-initiated projects of over 90 designers, artists and illustrators. It was put together by Fl@33, a London based design studio at the forefront of the scene. From super collectible vinyl toys, to the humble t-shirt, to out there furniture designs, over 500 products are displayed. Another nice touch are the quotes from each artist, which discuss how the designers feel about commissioned versus independent work, their relationship with clients and their thoughts on designing products. The book could have delved into this subject further and it might have made it seem a little more substantial in terms of content. As is, it’s a good starting point if you enjoy things that are well designed, get excited by limited edition runs and are hungry for more. If you are a designer, there’s plenty in here to inspire a myriad of ways to promote your work on your terms and make a bit of extra cash in the process, so get making and selling! (CM) How to make a pleated skirt: An instruction book by DIYcouture Rosie Martin (DIYcouture, £9.00)

This pleated skirt how-to is just one instalment in a series which features other basic and versatile items. Without the sometimes complex and prescriptive instructions of shop bought patterns, Martin’s highly visual style will guide you through the process, demonstrating how to tailor the skirt to your own measurements. Beautifully produced and brimming with inspiration, think of this book as part of an investment in a whole new, handmade couture wardrobe. (NR)

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Iron Me On: 30 Sheets of Awesome Fabric Transfers Mike Perry (Chronicle Books, £6.99)

I’m one of those people that buy other people presents I secretly want. So when I was Christmas shopping for my brother and spotted this book, I had a REALLY good look through it before reluctantly handing it over on Christmas day. I’d never heard of Mike Perry before, but since turning page after page of seriously colourful and sometimes just downright demented doodles, I could now be considered a fan. The concept of the book is simple, “Cut, Iron, Flaunt.” One might question the creative input in this process, but the fact that the transfers can be ironed on pretty much any kind of fabric and the inclusion of numerous pattern pages to cut your own shapes from means this problem is sidestepped neatly. If I did meet someone who had used the transfers in the exact same way as I had, it would have to be considered as some kind of awesome cosmic event that would render us bro’s for life. Speaking of bro’s, turned out mine loved this book as much as I did, and as luck would have it someone who obviously knows me very well indeed got me it for Christmas too! (CM) Knit, Purl, Save the World: Knit and Crocher Projects for Eco-friendly Stitchers Vickie Howell & Adrienne Armstrong (David & Charles, £14.99)

Find out how you can help the environment through your hobby using sustainable and eco-friendly yarns. With 31 projects there’s bound to be something that takes your fancy. Whilst I’m not sure you’ll quite be saving the world, it’s probably a stitch in the right direction. (NR)

Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design Faythe Levine & Cortney Heimel (Princeton Architectural Press, £14.99)

Produced alongside the making of a documentary fi lm of the same name, Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimel have made it their mission to chart the fast growing indie craft scene. Featuring interviews with makers across the USA, including Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching who makes quirky, contemporary hand embroidered pieces and kits; Sue Daly the woman behind Renegade Handmade, a Chicago craft fair which was one of the fi rst of its kind to bring together hip, young crafters rebelling against the traditional arts and craft scenes; and Stephanie Syjuco, of Anti-factory, making handmade clothes in opposition to mass-produced, and inevitably sweat-shopped garments. The crafters express a shared sense of a DIY ethos, tapping into dissatisfaction with manufactured commodities, and art and craft worlds they could not identify with. An excellent refl ection on the meaning of a handmade nation today. (NR) Felt, Cut and Sew Unique: Upcycle jumpers into one-of –a-kind clothes and accessories Crispina Ffrench (David & Charles, £14.99)

This book is chock full of creative ideas, for both children and adults. It is also an inspiring account of what one person can achieve by taking something completely ordinary and making it into something sensational. Crispina fi rst began upcycling by turning felt and old sweaters into adorable dinosaurs, which she calls Ragamuffi ns. The focus of this craft, and others, is to turn something functional into something desirable with little material cost. Crispina guides you through this philosophy with her remarkable knowledge of used materials and the basic skills you will need to create. Not only is this economical book packed full of great ideas, it will help you get rid of those ugly sweaters too! (GH)

Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting David Revere McFadden, Jennifer Scanlan & Jennifer Steiﬂe Edwards. (ACC Editions; illustrated edition, £18.99)

Based on the exhibition of the same name for the Museum of Arts & Design, this book is a fascinating exploration of how materials can be transformed from their pre-assigned connotations into works that question the current established genres of the art world. David Revere McFadden, the Chief Curator explains that this work strives to ask the questions, ‘how does something as innocent and harmless as knitting become subversive?’ and ‘how can lace serve radical ends?’ Many of the featured artists are trying to shake up the norms that exist in our society whilst promoting the renewal of communities and the demise of traditional defi nitions of knitting and lace making. With impressive images and interesting explanations, this book allows the reader to gain insight into the fl uidity of art and the ever-growing resurgence of radical crafting. (RA) Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffi ti Mandy Moore & Leanne Prain (Arsenal Pulp Press, £13.99)

Street art has become synonymous with the urban landscape. Taking its name from the graffi ti term ‘to bomb’, meaning to cover an area in your tag, yarn bombing, using knitted or crocheted tags, conjures up a more cuddly image than the stereotypical graffi ti artist. Originating in 2005 in Houston, Texas, with a bright knitted rectangle attached to a door handle, yarn bombing captured the imagination of a new breed of crafters, with tags appearing all over the world in the form of sweaters for trees, street furniture coverings, outfi ts for statues, or just little knitted fl owers left in the street. Now with international following, even the sleepy seaside UK town of Whitstable has its own crew. Featuring interviews with yarn graffi ti artists with street names such as PolyCotN, AKrylik, and Dropztitch together with amazing pictures, the authors go beyond just charting this growing trend. Participation is encouraged with advice on getting started, important things to consider and patterns to help get you on your way. (NR) pica pica magazine

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Websites we love:

Lapin & Me

Home of super kitsch bags, purses and achingly cute stationery. You can buy online or swing by their shop at 14 Ezra Street, just off Columbia Road, London. lapinandme.co.uk

Going Loopy words by natalie ridgway photos by loop

Be-Bop-A-Lula

Specialising in felt appliquéd cushions, brooches and accessories, with a rockabilly twist and prices you can afford. be-bop-a-lula.com

Lola-Pop

Ticking all our boxes with bright jewellery handmade in the UK. lolapop.co.uk

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Loop is a treasure trove for any knitter or crocheter, nestled just off trendy Islington’s well-heeled Upper Street. Having opened in July 2005, the shop prides itself on sourcing only the most gorgeous and high-quality yarns and accessories from across the globe. Pica Pica caught up with shop owner, Susanne Cropper to fi nd out more about the store. What was your background before the shop? I was as an art director on magazines. Why did you want to open the shop? I opened Loop as I wanted a gorgeous knitting shop in London that I could go to and get great supplies, inspiration and classes but there was none. So I did it myself and opened Loop hoping it would be an inspirational, cosy and helpful space for knitters and crocheters. What are you favourite designer pieces and yarns that you have in stock at the moment? My favourite yarn at the moment is Malabrigo 4 ply yarn which is hand dyed from Uruguay and totally beautiful to look at and to knit with. Loop, 41 Cross Street, Islington, London, N1 2BB, 020 7288 1160 loopknitting.com (Moving to Camden Passage in early June. The new address will be 15 Camden Passage, Islington N1, so even handier for the Tube!)

illustrations by amy blackwell amyblackwell.co.uk